


Bushfire

by PetrichorFilledSkies



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series), Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Bushfire, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Blood and Injury, Other, Sickfic, dadvid, i guess, it has a happy ending, no maxvid here not a fan of that shit, whump/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27245020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetrichorFilledSkies/pseuds/PetrichorFilledSkies
Summary: Gwen grabbed him by the cheeks as tears pooled down her eyes. “Just promise me you’ll make it back safe.”David nodded as tears pooled in his own eyes. “WE'll make it back safe.”He pushed away from Gwen and sprinted into the forest toward where Max went. One single thought went through his head.Please let Max be okay.Please let Max be okay.When Camp Campbell is hit by a bushfire and Max is nowhere to be seen, David does everything he can to make sure his most beloved camper is OK.
Relationships: Dadvid - Relationship, No Maxvid that shit not great
Kudos: 18





	Bushfire

**Author's Note:**

> I WROTE THIS MANY YEARS AGO SO IT AIN'T THAT GREAT JUST A HEADS UP LMAO  
> Nonetheless Camp Camp is one of my all time favourite series and I thought my AO3 could use some diversity. I hope you thoroughly enjoy!
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> \- Smoke inhalation  
> \- Hospital / Fire engine  
> \- Bushfire  
> \- Blood / a broken bone

“God, it’s so fucking hot!” Max cried frustratedly, pointlessly wiping the sweat dribbling down his face.

“Ho ho, watch your language there, Max!” David said chipperly as he saluted the Camp Campbell flag, though it was clear he was feeling the same discomfort as Max and the rest of the campers. His face was flushed and shining with sweat, his pale arms now pinker from both a fading sunburn and a new one drilling into his skin. His normally bouncy ginger hair had lost a lot of its volume.

The campers were situated outside the mess hall, crowded in a messy semi-circle of short sleeved shirts and thin summer shorts, though some opted to wear their usual clothes. It was by far the hottest day of summer so far, the outdoor thermometer reading a frustrating 105˚F (41˚C). Yet, despite that, David has insisted today would be a great day for outdoor activities.

“-And that’s how you use a paddle!” David chortled as he finished his brief. “Now, as most of you are already canoe-ready, let’s put our PFDs!”

As he and Gwen made their way around the circle handing out way-too-big life jackets, he stopped at Max, his face showing a displeasure and concern that made Max angrier than he was already.

“Max, aren’t you hot in that jacket? You’ll get heat stroke if you’re not careful.”

“I’m not a weak-ass like you David. I’m fine.”

David clicked his tongue. “I’m sorry Max, but that’s just not safe water clothing. You _do_ want to go canoeing, don’t you?” He asked the question as if not knowing the answer.

“No way in hell am I getting in one of those plastic pieces of shit. I’ll just sit back and watch.”

“Now, that’s no fun! You can’t just pull out when you’ve never done it before! The water is lovely!”

“David, I am _not_ going in that water!” Max wasn’t in the mood. He was hot, sweaty and tired, and was most _certainly_ not a fan of the water. Though, he’d never tell David why. Never.

This sparked a very small flicker of annoyance in David, and he shut it down, crouching to Max’s level. “Now Max, I know it can be scary trying things for the first time-”

“For the love of god, David, I’m not scared-”

“- But that is not a good enough reason to not join us out on the water!” He thrust a PFD into Max’s hands. “Now, let’s get that on you and go have some fun!”

As David began to stand again, his smile back on his face, Max had reached his tipping point. His face morphed a sharper frown. “I am not. going. canoeing.”

David stopped, his smile fading. He turned back to Max. “Max, you’re testing my patience today! Why won’t you just try it?”

“For the love of god I’m not going on that water!” Max shouted. David creased his brow.

“Yes you are!” He raised his voice slightly, which was a surprise. The heat must be getting to him too. Max showed a flicker of fear, before masking it with anger. “Now, put on the life jacket-”

“Fuck it! I’m fucking done! I’m not getting in the fucking water on the stupid-ass fucking canoes in the middle of the sun to get heatstroke and die!” Max slammed the PFD on the ground. The group had fallen silent as everyone stared. David’s face was one of shock. Max huffed a breath. “Fucking hell! Fuck this!” And he turned, stomping off in the direction of the woods.

“Max!” David shouted after him, and took a step toward his direction. A hand on his shoulder pulled him back, and he turned to see Gwen’s empathetic face staring into his annoyed eyes.

“Let him go, David. He’ll be fine.”

David looked once more at the short hooded figure disappearing into the woods, and nodded. He spent a few moments taking deep breaths, calming himself down, remembering how much fun he wanted the campers to have. He wasn’t going to spoil his mood and ruin the days of everyone else. Guilt gnawed at his insides.

“Alright, happy campers!” He spun around to face the group with a childish grin on his face. “Who’s ready to go canoeing?”

—————————————————-

Max trudged deeper and deeper through the forest, spluttering curses and obscenities under his breath, his fists clenched, his footsteps heavy and purposeful.

“Fucking David, always being so fucking eager and excited. Why can’t he just see the shitty reality of it all? Why can’t he just let me be?”

He was overly furious for such a tiny situation, but the heat and the exhaustion and the stress of going into the water had pushed him over the edge. He needed to be alone to let off some steam, and after about a half hour of walking did he actually slow down and pay attention to his surroundings and where he was going. A slight pang of guilt hit him in the chest as he remembered the shocked and upset face David had made when Max had snapped. Why did he have to care so much? He didn’t understand.

Max’s breath was coming in pants and sweat was dripping from his face with heat. Disgusted and exhausted, he yanked off his jacket and flung it to the ground. The air hit his sweat-drenched shirt and filled him with relief. _Fuck my jacket_ , he thought, walking further into the forest. _I’ll grab it on my way back_.

And he continued to walk for a while.

——————————————————

“Harrison! Nerris! Stop hitting each other with the paddles! You could get seriously injured!”

David circled back to the pair in his kayak for what seemed like the hundredth time that session. The sun beamed down on him, the sweat dripping down his arms, the water doing nothing to cool him like the capsized campers got to feel. Gwen hung back, making sure Nerf wasn’t killing Preston and the other campers. They had been out on the water for over two hours now, and everyone was exhausted. As David tore the pair apart and circled back around, Gwen tapped him on the shoulder.

“You’ve been really out of it this whole session. You’re worried about Max, aren’t you?”

David’s face showed a sad and hurt expression for once. He looked down. “He could be in serious danger right now, Gwen. He’s all alone in that forest and it’s my fault. I really scared him when I yelled at him.”

“It’s not your fault, David. Both of you guys needed to cool off. And you know he’ll be fine! This always happens. He disappears and you worry and then he shows up later just fine. He’ll be back once he’s sworn enough to get the anger out. Don’t stress.”

Gwen’s kind words brought a gentle smile to David’s face. “Thanks, Gwen. That means a lot.” He took a look around at the campers. Everyone was wet, sweaty, sunburnt and positively exhausted. “You reckon it’s time to bring ‘em in for lunch?” He smiled to Gwen.

“Thank _god_. I thought you’d never ask.” Gwen melodramatically cried. She paused. “You know, it’s really smoky out today. Look at all the smoke in the sky.”

“Prescribed burn-offs I’d hope!” David laughed, but inside he felt something churn in the pit of his stomach.

Forests are prone to fires in summer.

———————————————————

Max had slowed down considerably since he started walking, and used the sun to tell the time like David had taught them (not that he was paying attention). He’d been out here for over two and a half hours. He was pretty sure he had begun circling back to the camp at some point, but he couldn’t recognise any of his surroundings. In fact, the more he looked, the more he realised he had no idea where he was. Which way was back to camp? He was ready to go back and sleep the rest of the day off. He should’ve been paying attention to his surroundings as he walked. Now his anger had cooled off, he was thinking rationally, and he had no idea where he was.

He sniffed a deep breath of air to take a moment to try to remember where he had come from. He paused, and sniffed again. Was that smoke he could smell? It was definitely smoke. Had it been there the whole time? He sniffed again. That was pretty strong. Was it smoky nearby? Maybe the campers had lit a campfire and he was close to home base. Nah, that couldn’t’ve been right. The camp wasn’t allowed to light fires until after 6 thanks to the fire ban in summer, and plus, he knew the woods surrounding close to the camp like the back of his hand. If he didn’t know where he was, he must be super far away.

That thought made his throat tighten and his stomach drop a little. He was lost. He couldn’t be lost. He began walking in a direction he hoped was toward camp, before breaking into a jog. No no no no no, it would be so embarrassing if he was lost. Or he could be eaten by bears and die. And the smoke? What if the camp was on fire and it was headed toward him? He suddenly became hyperaware of everything around him. Every twig that snapped and every rustle of a tree. Was that a bear? A fox? A deadly wild animal?

And where was camp?

————————————————————

David, Gwen, and the campers were all hunkered down in the mess hall eating a late lunch. The kids were throwing it down their throats as if it were their last meal, and David would have noticed his hunger too if he wasn’t so sick with nerves.

Gwen, sitting opposite to him, was still watching him with concern, and finally decided to speak up once she watched him pick at his sandwich for the 100th time.

“David, you need to stop worrying. He’ll be fine.”

“But I’m super worried, Gwen!” David’s face was askew with concern. “He’s _still_ not back! He could have been attacked by a bear or gotten lost by now! Or way earlier!”

“He’s fine, you dipstick.” She repeated. “That kid’s got his own way of doing things. You know that. Just give him time and he’ll be back to his usual… _chipper_ … self.”

David nodded, letting the conversation fall into silence as he continued picking at his sandwich once more. He was sure Max was never usually gone this long. And why did he have this feeling of dread in his stomach? It was horrible feeling this way. He had to go make sure Max was ok.

“I-”

“You have to go look for Max because you’re so paranoid you can’t think straight? Fine. If I can’t stop you worrying, then you do what you have to do. But don’t blame me if Max hates you for a while.” Gwen knew what he was going to say before he said it.

David grinned. “Don’t worry Gwen, he already hates me!” He smiled more gently. “And thanks for understanding.”

He stood up, making his way to the door as inconspicuously as possible as not to draw attention from the fun the campers were having (by throwing their disgusting sandwiches as each other) and opened the door. He stopped, eyes growing wide in concern. The air was so thick outside, and it stunk of smoke. When had it gotten so smokey?

Just as David was about to say something, the kitchen door slammed open to show the Quartermaster holding the phone with a weather app open. He looked about as concerned as the Quartermaster could get.

“There’s a huge bushfire. It’s close.”

—————————————

Max was panting again, his heart pumping in his throat, his mind a race car of thoughts. He had poured on a steady jog in a direction which he hoped would take him back to camp, and hadn’t even bothered looking for his jacket. His stomach was a deep pit of fear. Smoke surrounded him, encapsulated the forest and painted it grey and orange, making it even harder to see where he was and where he was going.

His breaths were turning to wheezes and he coughed into his shoulder, his throat phlegmy and thick with the smoke. God, it stunk out here. There must be a bushfire. How close was it? Was he gonna be okay? Were the campers okay? Was David okay?  
And if it was a bushfire, were they gonna wait for him if they needed to evacuate?

A snap of a branch behind him snapped him from his thoughts and made him leap in his skin. Whirling his head around, he searched frantically for what had made the sound. A bear? A werewolf? Someone out to kill him? He didn’t bother to stay around and look. Coughing into his sleeve once more, he broke out into a quick sprint.

The smoke was getting unbelievably thick now. Every breath was a wheeze and his eyes were burning and dribbling with water from the sting. Every few breaths sent him into a coughing fit, but he never stopped running despite the burn in his lungs. What was going on? Where was this fucking Camp Campbell?

The smoke made his breath hitch and sent him into another coughing fit, this one worse than the others. As he ran he shut his eyes to cough into his elbow. His foot caught on something. His eyes shot open as he was flung forward, his foot hooked under a tree root, gravity pulling him down to the ground. He let out a sharp yell as he saw the ditch he was headed for, and cried out as he landed on the side with a slam, sliding down the rocky edge and sharply stopping with a thump against a tree root on the bottom. He cried out in pain, grabbing his leg, his lungs on fire, his foot screaming. As he coughed his lungs out, he cracked and eye open to see the damage.

He wish he hadn’t.

He was scratched up from the slide down, blood mixing with dirt mixing with dark skin against his arms and legs. His eyes trailed down the leg he was holding, down to the foot that got caught in the log that was screaming in pain. His stomach dropped. Was… was it supposed to go in that direction? The colour drained from his face and he cried out again, before he lungs screamed at him to do otherwise and he sucked in a breath. It only caused a coughing fit. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe.

He was fucked.

———————————————————

“Everyone stay calm!” David shouted over the sounds of worry for the 100th time. He and Gwen had run to the Quartermaster, confirming their biggest fears. The fire was a mere few kilometres away from them. Just over a mile. And thanks to the hot weather it was tearing through the trees, _fast_.   
“Where the fuck are the choppers?” Gwen reiterated, her face pale and scared. “What do we do?”  
“Stay calm Gwen,” David replied gently. His heart was pounding in his chest but he kept a steady face. He was the only one who knew how to get them out of this situation.

As if on queue, a fire engine skidded to a halt out the front of the mess hall, several more following on its trail. A fire fighter decked out in uniform, gas mask and all, slammed the door open, running forward and yanking the first camper she saw.

“You need to get out _now_!” She shouted, rounding up the children. “That fire is spreading faster than Anastasia’s legs in Fifty Shades of Grey - if we don’t leave now, we’ll be cooked meat!”

The kids, now in a panicking frenzy, burst into shrieks and screams, sprinting toward the firefighters and hopping onto the bus to get out of the camp. Gwen grabbed David, yanking him along with her as she sprinted to the bus as well.

“What about Max?!” David shouted in panic. Gwen’s face grew grim, and her eyes widened in horror.

“David, if we don’t leave now, we’re all going to die!” Tears began pouring down her face.

“I can’t just let him die!” He retorted, yanking his hand from her grip, his eyes stinging in the thick smoke and his throat burning with the smell. “Are you just saying we leave him to die?! What if he’s injured?!”

“I don’t fucking know!” Gwen shrieked in response. “All I’m saying is that I’m valuing the lives of all the campers over the life of one! If we don’t all leave now we’re toast!”

David froze, looking over in the direction where Max ran earlier that day. “Then you guys go.” He shoved Gwen into the hands of an approaching firefighter, who threw her onto the bus as his comrades prepared hoses for the oncoming terror.

“David, you can’t go out there!” Gwen screamed.

“I can’t just let him die, Gwen! I’m sorry!” He looked over once more, before running to Gwen and yanking her in a hug. “I’m sorry Gwen. Thank you for everything you’ve done. Please, _please_ , make sure these kids get home safely.”

Gwen grabbed him by the cheeks as more tears pooled down her eyes. “Just promise me you’ll make it back safe.”  
David grinned as tears pooled in his own eyes. “ _We’ll_ make it back safe.”

He pushed away from Gwen and sprinted into the forest toward where Max went. One single thought went through his head.

_Please let Max be okay._

_Please let Max be okay._

———————————————————

Max was not okay. He was so not okay. His foot was more than broken, his leg was covered in blood, and he was losing hope, fast. His hands gripped the wound on his leg tightly, trying to stop the flow of blood after he had discovered it was there. His body was screaming in pain, and his lungs were on fire.

He wheezed in a breath, gulping in nothing but smoke, sending him into a coughing fit again. His breaths were small as his lungs struggled to inhale the gas, his stinging throat closing in a way that felt like an asthma attack. Or worse, if it were possible.

He could barely open his eyes anymore. The sting from them was so bad that they were puffy, red, and draining water down his face like a sieve. He was terrified, his heart in his throat, his blood pumping so loud it filled his ears and petrified him more than he was already. Why did he have to get lost? Why did he have to lose his fucking temper and go out in the bush in the first place?! If he had just stayed close by he would’ve been fine!

And what about David? Would he just be left in his mind as the shitty kid who hated David to bits? Here Max was, laying in a ditch, hope lost, knowing he was going to die, and David would have no idea. He never got to tell David how much he cared about him. Or how he was the only one who actually gave two shits about him. Or that the real reason he wasn’t canoeing was actually because he almost drowned as a child, and because of that he was terrified of water and never learned to swim. He wanted to apologise. Now he was hopeless, helpless, and so close to death, his pride disappeared, and he just wanted to say sorry.

He tried to suck in a deep breath, pushing past the screaming in his throat.

“Someone help!” He shouted as loud as he could. “Help! Hel-” His voice cracked and hitched as his throat closed, and he sucked in a thin breath as he was forced into the most painful coughing fit he had experienced yet. His lungs felt like they were being ejected by his body, his mouth tasting like blood, a suspicious red trail running past his lips and down his chin. His head spun, the world spun,and he felt like he had been put in a tumble drier. He could feel himself losing grip on his consciousness, the smoke suffocating him, the blood dripping from his wound faster than he could stop it. His breath dropped to tiny pants, his throat closing, and he felt his head lighten. His vision grew black and he felt his hands loosen their grip on his leg before dropping altogether. He fought so hard to stay awake, the fear a distant gnaw on him, but he slipped nonetheless, the screaming of his lungs distant, the pain in his body number, the world around him vanishing.

In the distance, he almost swore he heard someone yelling. _What a pleasant idea,_ was his final thought to himself.

Then there was nothing.

—————————————————

The world slowly began coming back to him. First in his ears, a rumbling and vibrating sound filling his hears. A car? Were those sirens? Then the feeling came. There was pain. So much pain, from his head to his toe. There was something pressing on his face, around his nose and mouth. Panic filled his body at what it was.

Max shot to life and his hands flew to the object pressed against his face. His breathing quickened, and then regretted it by sending him into another coughing fit. He noticed himself pressed against something soft. Someone? Who had just grabbed his hands and coiled in around Max’s shuddering figure suddenly. Was he on someone’s lap?

“Whoa, whoa Max. Easy, easy. You’re ok. You’re alright. You’re safe now.” The hand pulled Max’s hands away from the object on his face and pat his back though his coughing fit. What was going on? What was happening?

Max opened his eyes to the familiar voice and saw David looking down at him, his eyes filled with concern, his face blackened and covered in soot. His eyes were red and puffy. He was holding a mask to Max’s face, which he realised was connected to an oxygen tank for him to breathe in. His brain swirled in his skull, his vision blurry and not all with it. Relief flooded him.

“Dav… David-” He choked out, before coughing once more. His eyes stung and the pain of his foot and leg flooded back into his consciousness. His eyes pooled with tears, and he hoped David couldn’t see.

“Whoa, Max. Try not to talk. Just take as big deep breaths as you can, OK? We’re all safe and sound and the fire engine is taking us to the hospital as we speak.”

Max listened to him and took slow deep breaths, trying to slow the spin of his head. It wasn’t working. The pain of his foot and leg made him so queasy he wanted to vomit.

“David, my leg,” He wheezed through several breaths.

“It’s ok, buddy, we’ve stopped the bleeding.”  
“It hurts,” He forced, the tears he tried hiding running down his cheeks. “Hurts a lot. ‘Feel dizzy.”

“Stay with us, Max.” David’s voice was more urgent, and Max tried to keep his eyes open as the dizziness took his vision once more. “We’re nearly there Max. Just hold on a little bit longer.

“M’ sick’.” Max’s words slurred as he tried to fight the dizziness. The pain was unbearable. “‘Urts a bunch.”

“I know, but stay with me, Max.” David spoke softly but urgently, lightly smacking Max’s cheek. Max winced, coughing more. The taste of blood returned to his mouth. His breaths came in wheezes.

“Feeldizzy,” He slurred. “Wanna vom… I-I can’ see.”

“Just keep taking deep breaths, Max. Come on, you gotta stay awake.”  
“M’ tired. Wanna sleep.” Max felt himself losing understanding of the world around him, the dizziness consuming his brain.

“No no no no no, come on Max, we’re nearly there.” David patted Max’s face more firmly as his eyes rolled shut. “Come on Max, don’t do it.”

It was no use. Max was gone once more.

Luckily for him, when he came to next, his foot had already been set and was being held tightly in place by a cast. His mind came to, his body pressed against a soft bed, a mask still on his face, his body still in pain but less than before. He groaned groggily, then flickered his eyes open as he felt someone holding on to his hand.

“Oh god, oh my god, thank god you’re awake.” The familiar emotional voice of David rung gently in Max’s ears, and he opened his eyes to see the man sat by the side of the bed, concerned face flooding with relief, the soot mostly gone from his complexion. By the antiseptic smell and the crackly cleanliness of the sheet covering him, Max knew he was in a hospital. He sighed with relief.

“What happened? Why do I feel so drunk?” Max tried to build the barricade back up between him and David but it toppled down again. There was no use. David smiled gently.

“The nurses have given you a lot of medicine to reduce the pain you were in which can make you feel pretty sleepy. They made sure you were A-OK.”

Max wanted to laugh at how ridiculous, how… _David_ … David sounded. It was obvious he had been terrified, his hands still gently shaking, his eyes puffy and red, and the dried marks of tears on his cheeks. Had he really felt so concerned… for Max?

“Why…” Max swallowed down any emotions to prevent them from spilling out. It wasn’t working very well. “Why did you risk everything to try and find me? After _everything_ I did? After all I do to be a shit and try to hurt you?”

“Because I care about you, Max.”

He had been expecting that answer, but hearing it still came as a blow to his emotions. He could feel his eyes welling with tears that he tried to push back.  
“Why would you care about a shit like me? I’m nothing to care about. I’m a pain in the ass-”

“No,” David interjected. “You’re incredible, Max. You’re so young yet you’ve put up with so much. You’re so bright, and as much as you try to act tough, you really do care about us all. There was no way I was going to let you die. I’m so sorry I was so mean to you this morning, Max. I shouldn’t have lost my temper over something so small.”

There it was, there was the waterworks. The tears began running slowly down Max’s cheeks, and he turned away to hide it. There was silence in the room as Max struggled to speak. Then David leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Max. Max froze as he felt himself pulled into a tight hug. It was such an unfamiliar feeling. But, somehow, the more Max felt it, the more safe it felt. He felt safe. Hesitantly and cautiously, he wrapped his arms over David’s shoulder despite the pain, burying his face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. The lump in his throat pushed the tears from his eyes and Max didn’t bother holding them in. He sobbed into David’s shirt.

After a while, he managed to compose himself as much as possible, and slid out of David’s arms as he took a seat again.  
“I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry too, David. It wasn’t your fault. I… I was being a little shit and I took it too far. There was another silence as he sniffed.

“It’s just…” He paused for a long time. A long, long time. David gently squeezed his hand to let him know it was ok to keep going. “I’m fucking terrified of water, ok?” He snapped out. “I’m fucking petrified of water and I don’t even know how to fucking swim and I was too scared to tell you because I thought you’d laugh at me.” He took a deep breath and managed to meet David’s eyes with his own wet ones. David was crying too. It was a gross emotional sobfest in this room.

“I’m sorry, Max. I had no idea. It was written on your form that you were competent-”

“Yeah, because my parents think it’s funny to watch their kid struggle to not drown.” That was as much as Max had even opened up about his family. “You know how many times they pushed me into a pool just for shits and giggles? You’re the first one to care, David.”

“And you thought I didn’t.” David finished the thought. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through so much. It won’t happen again.”  
“Not if Camp Campbell is burnt to the ground,” Max teased, trying to change the subject from the shit that made him uncomfortable. A whole lot of emotional shit had just happened that he had never experienced. He needed the usual. “You’ll be jobless then, won’t you, Davey? I won’t have to go back to that shithole. Fuck yeah.”

David laughed his cheerful laugh, seeing the desperation for a subject change. “Bad news for you, Max. The camp is just fine! We’ll be going back as soon as you’re feeling better.”

“Oooooooh nooooo, it seems like I'm dying again. I can’t go back! Maybe if I take off my oxygen mask it’ll bring me closer to death.”  
“NOOOOO MAX STOP DON’T DO THAT!”

They were back to their usual banter just as soon as it had gone, but this time, Max felt a warmth and secret joy poking fun with David. It was just a joke. And David knew Max meant no harm. He cared. And to Max, that meant the world.

By the time everyone was allowed back on site several days after the incident, it felt like years since Camp Campbell was the campers’ home. Nikki squealed with delight, Preston had more of a rambunctious skip in his step, and Neil complained just a little bit less. Max had a shit ton of painkillers, a cool-ass black cast, and a new set of crutches that meant he could sub out of activities whenever he wanted. In his eyes, he was living the camp life. Except when David spent more time with him to make sure he was OK. Behind his scowl, being back at camp, Max was smiling ear to ear.

And when he was out and about on activities giving the camp leaders their usual hell, he wouldn’t overstep his boundaries, and when no-one was looking, he’d bump David’s leg, or gently kick his shoe into his camp leader’s. David did too. It was a sign of mutual agreement, like an event had passed and left the two connected.

It felt good to be home.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed despite the not quite as good writing as usual! This is your hydration reminder :)


End file.
